Town News Briefing

FARMINGTON -- A Manchester man who was seriously injured Sunday in a two-vehicle crash on Route 177 was in stable condition at Hartford Hospital Monday, police said.

Kevin Field, 19, of Manchester, was hurt when he was ejected from a Toyota Tercel driven by Gary Collins, 34, of Granby. The car and a van driven by Steven Parent, 37, of Unionville, collided near Sanford Avenue.

Parent and a 9-year-old boy in the van were not injured, according to police.

A second passenger in the car driven by Collins, 21-year-old Dan Field of Plainville, also was injured. He was treated at Hartford Hospital and released, police said.

Collins and a third passenger were not injured, according to police.

AVON

Senior Mastery Night

At High School

AVON -- The public is invited to Avon High School tonight for its twice-yearly Senior Mastery Night.

The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the school, 510 W. Avon Road. Admission is free. The theme of this year's program is: ``What it Means to be Human.''

Each student's presentation will last about 20 minutes, followed by a question-and-answer period. The presentations will be held concurrently in various rooms throughout the school.

Each senior is required to demonstrate significant mastery of a topic as part of the school's senior-level humanities course. Half of the senior class will present projects tonight, and the other half will present their projects in June at the conclusion of the second semester.

Projects range from traditional research, such as society's views toward firearms; to nontraditional topics such as comparing the messages behind corporation logos or building a bicycle's suspension from scratch.

The students work with mentors throughout the semester to prepare for the presentations.

A schedule of presentations will be available tonight at the start of the program. Anyone with questions can call the high school today at 860-404-4740.

AVON

Tour Of Horse Guards

AVON -- The Avon Historical Society will host a tour and presentation on Saturday at the headquarters of the First Company Governor's Horse Guards.

The event takes place from 1 to 3 p.m. at the headquarters and stables. The facility's address is 232 W. Avon Road, but the parking area can be reached off Arch Road.

Historian Howard Miller will discuss the organization's history, its establishment in 1778 as a mounted bodyguard for the governor and important activities in its 225-year history. It is the oldest continuously serving cavalry unit in the United States.

Participants are invited to bring carrots or apples to feed the horses, and the event is suitable for all ages. The event is free, but donations to help the nonprofit Avon Historical Society will be accepted.

For more information, call Nora Howard at 860-678-1043.

CANTON

School Evacuated

Due To Trash Can Fire

CANTON -- A fire in a trash can in a girls' restroom forced the evacuation of Canton High School on Monday afternoon.

Firefighters and police were called at 12:09 p.m., but arrived to find the fire already extinguished, Fire Marshal Bruce Lockwood said.

There was minimal damage to the bathroom, he said.

Some students were playing with a match and threw it into a trash can with paper in it. They tried to put the fire out, Lockwood said.

Those involved are juveniles and Lockwood said he could not identify them.

NEW HARTFORD

New Highway Official

NEW HARTFORD -- The town's new highway supervisor is a veteran construction project manager and former Canton school board member.

First Selectman Bill Baxter announced the hiring of Daniel LeGeyt on Monday. LeGeyt, 51, has worked for two construction companies and an engineering firm. He has managed construction projects and done cost estimates for projects, LeGeyt said.

The Canton resident also served for seven years on that town's board of education. LeGeyt's experience in both the private and public sectors should serve the town well, Baxter said. He is to start work Jan. 20.

Hartford

Guilty Plea Results

In 10-Year Sentence

A 22-year-old Hartford man was sentenced after he pleaded guilty Monday to an assault that took place in Hartford last March.

William Davis of Hartford pleaded guilty using the Alford doctrine, which means that he did not admit to the accusations against him but acknowledged that the prosecution had enough evidence to convict him if the case was presented at trial.

Judge Elliot Solomon accepted Davis' plea and sentenced him to 10 years in prison, suspended after five years, and five years of probation.

According to Prosecutor Herbert Carlson, Davis was involved in a dispute between his current and former girlfriends. At some point on March 15, more than a dozen people related to his former girlfriend confronted Davis and his current girlfriend at his house in Hartford's North End. Two people ended up shot in the melee, Carlson said.

Defense lawyer Fred DeCaprio argued that Davis had a self-defense case but he could not defend himself against weapons charges because he is a convicted felon.